World police leaders gather at UN to tackle evolving global threats; Pakistan represented by Mohsin Naqvi

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Jul, 2026) The 5th United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit, UNCOPS 2026, brings together Ministers from around the world, including Pakistan, Chiefs of Police, senior UN leadership and partners to discuss how the world body's policing can better respond to the current peace and security challenges.

Pakistan is represented by Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi at the two-day event which takes place at UN Headquarters on July 7 and 8.

Besides participating in the summit's deliberations, Naqvi will also have bilateral meetings with a number of his counterparts, including from Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Sudan and Russia, as well as with with the Chinese Vice Minister for Public Security.

Briefing the press ahead of UNCOPS 2026, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said it will serve as a "vital forum" for international police leaders to address emerging global security challenges.

Speaking alongside UN Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar, who is a police officer from Pakistan, Lacroix highlighted that the summit will focus heavily on three core areas:

-- The future of United Nations policing and its role in modern peacekeeping;

-- innovation and emerging technologies; and,

-- Strengthening international peace, security, and development.

Lacroix emphasized that despite significant financial and operational constraints facing the UN, these police personnel remain "indispensable" to field missions globally.

Related side events will further explore key policing priorities, including organized crime, Women, Peace and Security, conflict-related sexual violence, gender-responsive policing, forensics, digital violence, cultural heritage protection, language training and global supply chain security, it was pointed out.

The summit will also provide an opportunity to strengthen partnerships and mobilize support for a United Nations Police that is people-centred, rights-based, modern, agile, specialized and fit for purpose.

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At its core, UNCOPS 2026 reinforces the value of multilateral policing and the role of UN Police in helping translate global policing experience into practical support for communities.

An integral part of UN Police work is their partnership with national police services, to help build the skills, institutions and confidence needed for host countries to take increasing responsibility for their own security, USG Lacroix said.

"The goal of this Summit is to ensure that our organization is aligned and prepared to support the nearly 4,500 UN Police from 77 countries which serve across our peace operations while helping shape how United Nations policing continues to evolve to meet today's increasingly complex security environment," he said.

"The Summit is also an opportunity to enhance our collaboration with national police services, recognizing that today's security challenges increasingly transcend borders and require collective responses."

On his part, Shahkar , the UN Police Adviser, said that at the heart of this summit is a simple message: safety is integral to peace.

"For communities affected by conflict, peace is not only the silence of weapons; it is also the ability to return home, send children to school, report violence, access justice, and trust the institutions meant to protect them," he said.

"As an integral part of peacekeeping, United Nations Police often have some of the most direct and sustained contact with the people we serve."

United Nations Police, Shahkar said, bring together officers from 77 different policing cultures, languages, and fields of expertise. "This diversity helps us reach communities, build national capacities, and address complex threats, including organized crime, sexual and gender-based violence, cybercrime, and digital violence, more effectively," he said.

"At a time of resource constraints, UNCOPS is an opportunity to show why an investment in the United Nations Police is an investment in peace."